The WILD LIFE of New York City
by SilvrBlade
Summary: The SVU squad in an animal adventure! Dean escapes from the zoo and Olivia goes after him... only managing to get caught by animal control to be deported! Her friends go after her in an instant, creating the biggest zoo escape in New York history! r&r plz
1. Chapter 1

**Notes: Just a silly idea I came up with while watching Wildlife. Everyone is an animal, and I tried my best to fit an animal to a character's personality, but I'm not sure how well I did. Anyway, enjoy! ;)**

Chapter 1: Welcome to New York Zoo

Olivia padded through the underbrush, her ears perked and alert. Ahead of her, a stray pigeon had made its home in some grass, and Olivia licked her lips hungrily. _Dinner time!_

A sudden roar rang through the grass, and the pigeon flew off. Olivia quickly leapt for it and swiped at it, but missed and let out a growl as she hit the ground. She got back up and shook the dirt off her chocolaty brown pelt, her eyes following the pigeon as it flew through the sky.

_I'll get you later, _she silently promised the pigeon. Sighing to herself, the brown lioness flattened her ears as another growl rippled through the air.

"I'm coming!" she yowled.

Hopping up onto the wall beside her, Olivia stalked along the wall over to the tiger pen.

"What?" she demanded of the snow tiger pacing the floor in front of her. Olivia made herself comfortable on the brick wall and began to clean her paws. "What is so important?"

The snow tiger turned to face her, his bright blue eyes cutting through hers.

"Is it bad I wanted to see you again?" he laughed.

"Not necessarily," Olivia replied. "But the sun's going to be up soon. I can't get caught in here."

"I know," Elliot purred, raising an amused brow. "But I wanted to see you again before the keepers get here."

Olivia snarled in a mock-annoyed way, and Elliot chuckled to himself in that only one way tigers can. Suddenly, a white stork flew overhead cawing out the Sunrise Warning. Elliot began pacing again and Olivia resuming cleaning her claws.

"What's up, Huang?" she asked the stork as he landed next to her.

"Just doing the morning run," Huang replied. "What's up with you guys?"

"Chilling," Elliot replied, circling his pen. "Who'd you check up on so far?"

"Munch and Fin," Huang replied. "Well, and Kathy and Dean. Casey was still asleep so I didn't want to wake her. Remember last time I tried to wake her up?"

"She nearly ripped your throat out," Elliot chuckled.

"She nearly skinned you with her bare claws," Olivia smirked. "Feathers and all."

"Very funny," Hunag frowned. "It wouldn't be so funny if you had been on the recieving end of those claws."

"I guess not," Olivia replied with a purr. "So, how are Dean and Kathy?"

She asked to be nice, though the three animals already knew she didn't really care... none of them quite cared.

"Fine," Huang replied with an internal sigh. "Needy as hell. But that's nothing new."

The three animals all nodded their agreement. Huang suddenly looked over to his left as the quickly brightening sky.

"Uh oh, sun's coming up," he noticed. "I have to finish the morning run. I'll see you guys tonight though."

Olivia and Elliot said goodbye and the white stork flew off squawking his warning to the rest of the zoo. Olivia stared at her paws.

"I guess that's my cue to go too," she sighed. "See you tonight, Elliot."

"See you," Elliot sighed as Olivia stalked off. He murmured to himself "And so the day begins again at the New York City Zoo. Well, the show must go on."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own SVU**

Chapter 2: Olivia's Girl

The brown lioness walked back along the brick wall and hopped back into her pen, running back into her cave before the sun's first light could poke over the horizon. Soon, the grass in front of her cave was lit with sunlight, and the stone beneath her paws was quickly warmed. Summer was always nice. Olivia poked her head out of the cave, and words were suddenly shouted over the loud speaker. Olivia smiled to herself- the kids would be coming soon! Olivia always liked the children; they were always so sweet! Sometimes they would throw her treats like hot dogs and pretzels.

As Olivia padded across the soft grass, sunlight streamed onto her back and warmed her soft pelt. A few children with their parents walked up to the wall to see her, and they stared down at her with eager eyes. She could easily jump up there, she realized, but she decided not to scare them. So instead, she lay down and rolled onto her back, sunning her stomach. She heard a few stray giggles, and purred. She loved it when the children laughed.

Suddenly, in the pen next to her, Dean approached, his mane gleaming in the sun.

"Hey, Sexy Pelt," he purred. "What's goin' on?"

Olivia rolled over and bit back a snarl in his direction.

"Sunning myself," she answered simply. "What are you doing?"

"Watching you sun yourself," Dean purred. "You have a very sleek pelt."

"Thanks," Olivia replied shortly.

"So I was talking to Elliot earlier," Dean told her, cleaning his claws nonchalantly. "He certainly had a lot to say about you."

Olivia gave him a questioning look and began to walk over to the one gate that separated the two lions.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Oh, you know," Dean shrugged. "The usual."

"Tell me!" Olivia ordered, leaping over to the gate.

"Well," Dean sighed, "he said you were kind of whiney, and… clingy. And…well….I don't think I should tell you that one."

Dean began to pad away, and Olivia swiped at the gate, making it rattle.

"TELL ME!" she roared.

The roar echoed across the park, making Elliot's ears perk up in his den. Dean turned around and shrugged.

"He said he was trying to get with you to have a cub with you," he sighed. "He doesn't really care about you Olivia I don't care what he tells you, Olivia, he can never love you like I can."

"You're wrong," Olivia snarled. "Elliot would never say that about me. And either way, Elliot and I aren't together. You now that."

"I now he cares about you," Dean snapped. "I can see it in the way he looks at you."

"I thought you said he didn't care about me," Olivia countered. "He just wanted a cub."

"I…." Dean was at loss for words. "I have to go. See you later Olivia. That's a promise."

Olivia watched as Dean stalked away from her, and she wanted nothing more right then and there than to rip his pelt off.

"Elliot wouldn't say that about me," she growled to herself. "Never…"

A giggle from a little girl sounded in Olivia's ears, and she turned her attention to a little human girl leaning on the railing. Suddenly, the girl leaned over to reach her hand down, and Olivia tilted her head in confusion. What was this girl trying to do? Suddenly, the girl leaned over too far and began to fall. The mother cried out in surprise, and Olivia leapt up from her spot. Olivia suddenly leapt into the air and caught the girl by her little jacket hood, and landed softly in the grass. The girl was crying, but Olivia curled around her and began to soothingly lick her. The human girl's sobs quickly turned to giggles.

"Nice kitty," the little girl sniffed, and Olivia purred as the girl ran her fingers through her fur.

The mother suddenly cried out again, and Olivia didn't know what it meant, but her instincts told her that the mother wanted her child back. So, sighing a bit, Olivia picked up the girl gently once more, leapt up over the railing, dropped the girl gently at her mothers' feet, and jumped back down into her pen. Humans stared at her in shock, but Olivia just sat there and began to clean her paws. Some of the humans were shouting, others were taking pictures with their cameras. She could make out only "hero" and "wild beast". Olivia's ears flattened at the word beast, and she growled up at who did it.

"Why don't you come say that to my face?" she roared at the human.

He stumbled backward, and Olivia purred as she understood his tone as fear. Letting out a contented sigh, she turned around and padded back to her den. She needed a cat-nap… and a long one at that. Dean stared at the retreating lioness with interest. She had just saved that human child, and alerted the keepers to the fact that she could escape! He thought about how she had jumped back in though; why hadn't she run? She could have found a way to get to the wild where she belonged… where they all belonged.

Dean turned around and padded over to his favorite spot underneath the willow in his pen. He had to think.

**Notes: Again, just a silly idea. I love reviews. ;) Thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes: *Sighs* Yes, I know, I didn't tell you guys the others' animal personas in the last chapter. My apologies. Fear not, they will be revealed in this chapter, so just be patient and read the whole thing. ;) Thanks!**

Chapter 3: The Idea

Olivia awoke to find the park in complete darkness. Leaping up, she rushed outside and stared up at the sky. Instead of the clear blue sky she had seen earlier, she saw a few stars lighting up the New York sky.

"Dammit!" she cried. "Did I sleep that long?"

"Yup," Casey purred from behind her. Olivia spun around to see the elegant cheetah lying lazily on the wall behind her. "_All…day…long._"

"Did I miss anything?" Olivia asked as Casey leapt down from her perch into the lion's den.

Casey thought on it a minute.

"Ummmm…. nope!" Casey replied, pawing at a stray piece of grass contentedly. "Dean was an ass…. Kathy was whiney…. Nothing usual."

"Sounds like a normal day," Olivia mused.

"Well, there was that thing you did earlier," Casey told her, her emerald gaze bearing into Olivia's. "You know, with that kid."

"Oh that," Olivia replied shortly, licking her paws in embarrassment. "Yeah, well, instincts."

"How's it goin you guys?" Elliot suddenly leapt into the lion pen, followed by Huang and a ring-tailed lemur.

"Hey El," Casey nodded. "Huang. Munch."

"We need to go see Fin," Munch the lemur told them, climbing onto Elliot's shoulders. "He has something important to tell us."

The animals nodded and leapt out of Olivia's pen, onto the sidewalk. The group began to pad down the rocky slope to the zebra pen. At the sight of the cheetah, lion, and tiger, most of the zebras flew in terror. One, however, stayed.

" 'Sup?" Fin greeted them as they approached the gate.

"You had something to tell us," Olivia replied.

"Yeah, I did," Fin told them.

"So spit it out!" Casey ordered with a growl. "I'm missing my beauty nap!"

"Don't get your whiskers in a bunch, Case," Fin laughed. "I'll tell you."

"What's goin on?" Elliot asked.

"I heard some o' the keepers talkin'," Fin told the anxious animals; Fin was the only one who could speak human. "They're thinkin' about making the walls higher so none of the animals can get out!"

"What?" Munch screeched. "They can't!"

"They're mostly looking to raise the predators' cages though," Fin told them. "They found paw prints by Dean's cage! I think they're going to cut us off!"

"They can't do that!" Casey cried, unsheathing her claws in anger. Her fur prickled along her spine. "I won't let them!"

"Relax Casey," Olivia told her, brushing her tail against Casey's shoulder in an effort to calm her. Olivia turned back to Fin. "So what do we do?"

"What can we do?" Munch asked from Elliot's back. "We can't stop them!"

The animals paused, thinking of an answer.

"We can escape," Casey said quietly.

The group turned to face her.

"We can't do that!" Elliot snapped.

"Well it's that or we never see each other again!" Casey snapped. "We can catch the subway to Grand Central, catch a train, and make it to a ship yard."

"Headed where?" Olivia demanded. "Where would we go, Casey?"

"We'll figure it out," Munch offered. "I don't know, I… kinda like the idea."

"Me too," Dean announced. He and Kathy approached the group of animals, eyes gleaming. "I heard some of the monkeys talking about a ship on the docks heading to Africa! Tonight!"

"We can all go," Kathy offered, the fox's amber eyes gleaming at Elliot. "What do you think, El?"

"I think we should talk about it before we make such a rash decision," Elliot replied forcefully.

"Well I'm going now," Dean snapped. He turned around and headed for the wall out to the street. "See you all in the wild!"

"Dean!" Olivia cried, running after him.

"Olivia, wait!" Elliot cried.

But it was too late. The brown lioness had already leapt over the wall out onto the New York City street after Dean.

"This is not good," Fin announced worriedly. "This is not good at all."

**Notes: Nice reviews make authors happy! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: SVU not mine... *wistful sigh* ... **


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes: Thank you for all your amazing reviews! However, it has come to my attention that many of you have said it is much like Madagascar... not that I don't like beging compared to my all time favorite animated movie, it's just I am worried about copyright issues... so here we go. I am not ripping off Madagascar (or at least not trying to) and I do not own SVU OR MADAGASCAR SO PLEASE DON'T SUE! Again, thak you for your amazing reviews. I will let you read now. ;) Enjoy.**

Chapter 4: Captured

"Decide to come along?" Dean smirked as Olivia followed him up the street.

"No!" Olivia snapped. "I want you to come back with me!"

"I can't go back, Olivia," Dean snapped, shaking his head as he stalked faster up the street. "Just, being in a cage…. It makes me sick! I have to escape; go to the wild! Be free!"

"Don't do this to yourself, Dean," Olivia pleaded, quickening her pace to match his. "Animal Control will get you! It's not worth it?"

"Maybe not for you, Olivia, but it's worth it for me. I had to get out of that hell hole! But do you feel it now? Do you hear the city? See the lights? Do you smell the city, Olivia? Isn't it magnificent?"

"It smells like garbage and pollution," Olivia snapped truthfully. "Dean, please!"

"Well, have fun in a cage Olivia," Dean sighed. "I hope you enjoy being trapped for the rest of your life."

Dean suddenly began to run up the street, leaping over hot dog vendors and scattering people.

"Dean!" Olivia called, running after him. "Wait!"

"OLIVIA!"

Olivia was suddenly knocked against a bench by Casey, and she let out a yelp of surprise. Elliot and Fin quickly followed, Munch hopping into a tree.

"Casey!" Olivia snapped. "What th-?"

"Get your fuzzy ass back in the zoo NOW!" Casey ordered, pushing Olivia to her feet with her muzzle. "Come on, go! GO!"

"What about Dean?" Olivia cried. "He'll be killed!"

"Forget him!" Munch ordered.

"Come on baby girl, we gotta go!" Fin ordered, prancing around so his hooves made clicking sounds on the sidewalk. "The po-po's gonna be here any minute!"

Olivia shook her head.

"Not without Dean," she told them.

She ran down the street again, and Casey began to follow. But Casey was used to open fields, not having to weave between humans and their stupid strollers. Olivia however seemed to have no trouble with that. Dean bounded down to the docks, Olivia within close range. Dean suddenly ran down onto a pier and leaped onto a boat.

"Come on Liv!" he shouted. "This is the one headed for Africa!"

Olivia stopped at the beginning of the wooden pier.

"No!" she called out. "Dean, come on! They'll be coming any minute!"

Elliot rammed Casey into a wall before she could run out into plain sight, though, because he knew what was coming next.

"What the hell, Elliot?" Casey cried.

"Shhhh!" Elliot ordered. "The humans will hear you!"

There was a sudden flash of light, and Olivia suddenly found herself surrounded by humans with guns. At the sight of the metal weapons, Olivia began to panic, sheathing and unsheathing her claws uncertainly. They were closing in in her, and she roared loudly in an attempt to scare them off.

"Dean!" she cried, spinning around and around, but the lights surrounding her were too bright. "Elliot! Casey!"

There was a sharp pain in her side, and Olivia felt her muscular legs crumple and fall out from under her. She was quickly approached by the humans, and she growled half-heartedly. She was fading quickly, and soon found herself falling into unconsciousness. And her friends were forced to watch.

**Notes: Reviews make me happy (and more likely to post sooner! *wink wink*) ;) Thanks**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Search Begins

Casey bit back an anguished yowl as they shot Olivia with the dart gun. Elliot however pushed her against the wall, reminding her of their current situation. Olivia was soon lifted into a chopper, Elliot's heart sinking as he watched her limp body being lifted into the flying object. It took a long time, but then all the humans were finally gone.

"You son of a wart hog!" Casey yelled at Dean, suddenly leaping up onto the ship and pinning him to the ground. Her claws were unsheathed and digging into his neck as Casey held him down with one dainty paw. "I can't believe you! This is all your fault!"

"She followed me!" Dean choked, trying to claw at the cheetah to get her off. But Casey did a good job of avoiding his claws. "It's not my fault!"

"If you hadn't left she wouldn't have followed you!" Elliot snarled, coming up from behind to back Casey up. "So technically it is your fault!"

"Let me up," Dean ordered.

"Like that's gonna happen," Casey snarled, pushing down harder on Dean's throat until he began to choke violently.

"Case," Elliot snapped. "Stop. You're killing him."

Casey reluctantly released Dean from her death grip. Dean scrambled to his paws and coughed, shooting Casey a dirty look.

"You're gonna help us get her back," Fin snapped.

"Like hell!" Dean growled, shaking his mane to rid it of the excess dirt. "I'm headed to Africa. If you were smart you would do the same."

"You would abandon Olivia?" Elliot sneered. "Even after she tried to SAVE you from the city?"

"Oh now I'm really gonna kick your ass," Casey sneered.

She scratched her claws in the dirt menacingly, and bared her teeth at the lion.

"Down kitty," Dean snarled. "And either way, we're no use against humans! We'll just end up like Olivia! Only, we'll end up dead. Olivia's getting the easy way to Africa."

"What?" Casey cried.

"What?" Dean chuckled. "You don't know how Animal Control works? If she's lucky and doesn't fight them, she'll just be put on a boat and shipped to the wild." He smiled to himself. "And I'll be there to meet her."

"We're going to get her back, Dean," Elliot snapped.

"Good luck," Dean sneered.

"I'd wish you the same," Casey snapped, "but I'd rather see your ignorant ass tossed into the sea."

"Again," Dean chuckled. "Good luck to you."

A fog horn suddenly filled the air, and the boat lurched.

"All ashore that's going ashore!" Casey yelled, and bounded gracefully back onto the dock.

Elliot followed her and managed to make it back onto the dock before the boat began to pull away. They turned to watch as Dean looked at them, looked at the boat, and looked back at them. Then, to their dismay, he leapt back onto the dock and stared Elliot down.

"I care about Olivia," he snapped. "Probably more than you do. And I refuse to look like a jackass while you look like a hero."

"Great!" Casey rolled her eyes. "NOW he decides to be selfless!"

"Suck it up," Dean snapped. "You should be glad I'm here."

"And why is that?" Munch asked, in an equally annoyed tone as he landed lightly on Casey's shoulders.

"Because," Dean growled, glaring at the small lemur. "I know where to start."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Ruckus

"Why are we coming back to the zoo?" Casey demanded.

"We aren't the only ones who got out," Dean snapped at her.

Suddenly, Casey let out a yowl of surprise as Cragen the monkey landed on her back. Kathy stalked up the street too, looking as though she was not pleased with the situation.

"We ready to go?" Cragen asked as he began to comb Casey's fur for bugs.

"Sure," Elliot sighed. "Where do we go?"

"Grand Central," Dean replied, "and we need to hurry. The terminals will be closing in an hour."

"So what?" Casey growled. "Are we just gonna walk right up and get on the train?"

"Actually," Dean replied, "yes. No one's going to stop us."

Casey let out a deep sigh.

"You know what?" she announced. "Whatever. Let's just go. But if we die I'm personally blaming you!"

"I'll take that under consideration," Dean smirked. "Alright troops, let's move out!"

Soon the odd group found themselves waltzing up through the terminals, scattering crowds as they went along. One human began to take out their cell phone, but Casey snarled at them and they dropped the device.

"Let's hurry up," Casey ordered. "I don't like the feeling of this."

There was a sudden familiar flash of light. They later learned it was someone taking a picture.

"Scatter!" Dean roared. "Get onto different cars!"

The group scattered quickly, running into random cars and sending people running. Soon the train began to move, and the group found themselves split. Dean and Kathy were in the first car, Casey and Elliot were in the second car, and Fin, Cragen, and Munch were in the last car.

"Nice job splitting up," Dean snarled when they all got off at the next stop. "The first three cars? Really?"

"We were momentarily blinded!" Elliot defended the group. "We couldn't have known!"

"Whatever," Dean sighed. He looked around, and suddenly an Animal Control trucked whizzed down the street past them.

"There!" Munch cried, pointing at the vehicle.

"Let's go!" Casey cried, and began to chase after the truck.

"Hold up!" Fin cried, but Munch and Casey had already taken off.

Elliot ran after them and after some time he finally caught up to her. He yanked Casey back by her scruff, and Casey let out a yowl.

"Hey!" she cried as the truck drove off. "What the hell was that for?"

"Olivia was captured in a _helicopter_, meat brain!" Dean snapped, coming up behind Elliot to face the cheetah. "Not a stupid truck!"

If cheetahs could blush, Casey would be red all over.

"Munch pointed it out!" she defended herself.

Munch climbed into a nearby tree and stared down at the group dejectedly.

"Excuse me!" he screeched, clearly offended. "I didn't know it was a crime to point out passing vehicles."

"You're lucky you're up in that tree, bug-face," Casey snarled, unsheathing her claws, "or I'd rip your throat out."

"Oh sure, threaten the little defenseless monkey!" Munch scoffed. He bared his sharp teeth at her. "You're not the only one with pearly whites you know."

Casey let out a loud roar, and Munch stumbled back, nearly falling out of the tree.

"Guys!" Cragen snapped, climbing up into the tree with Munch to glare at him. "Focus! What's the quickest way to the deportation center from here?"

"South," Elliot replied. He pointed his muzzle at the sign down the road. "Hopefully we can run without getting caught by AC."

"TIGER!"

The shriek echoed through the animals' ears, and they turned to see a human woman fainting on the other side of the street. They couldn't speak human, but they knew something was up.

"RUN!" Dean ordered, leaping up and grabbing Munch by the scruff of his neck from the tree.

Cragen grabbed hold to the lion's mane as the group began to sprint down the street, while dean tossed Munch onto Fin's back.

"Into the woods!" Munch cried, pointing at the upcoming trees. "Cragen and I will be able to move better!"

The group didn't argue, and turned quickly off the road into the tree. Blue and red lights flashed behind them, and they heard the sounds of guns going off. The monkey and lemur leapt into the trees, swinging from branch to branch. Without the added weight, the runners were able to go farther, faster. Soon they found themselves lying under the trees, night hanging over them like a dark blanket. Elliot and Casey were licking their sore, bleeding pads, while Dean paced the forest floor.

"Yo man, quit it," Fin sighed from his spot in a pile of fallen leaves. "You're makin' us dizzy."

"Shut up," Dean snapped, not making eye-contact with the tired zebra. "I'm thinking."

"Olivia has at the very least another day," Cragen informed the pacing lion from his perch above the group. "They won't deport her until tomorrow afternoon."

Suddenly, a red pelt swept into the clearing, and Kathy stood next to Fin, looking tired.

"It's clear to the North," she informed the group. She dropped to her stomach and put her head onto her paws. "I think we'll be okay until tomorrow."

"Is anyone hungry?" Elliot asked, getting to his paws and swiping his tail across the forest floor, scattering leaves. "I'm going hunting."

"I could do a squirrel, thanks," Kathy sighed with her eyes closed. "And a nice mouse if you could. Thank you dear. Dean, would you like anything?"

"No," Dean replied, still pacing. "Now shut up. I have to think."

Kathy sniffed dejectedly, and returned to her nap. Elliot sighed and padded out farther into the forest. There was a skittering of leaves, and Elliot turned his head instinctively to the left. He growled playfully and leapt at the brush, expecting Olivia to be there to let out a playful yowl. But there was no animal there. Elliot picked himself up, embarrassed, and looked back to where the clearing had used to be. He had been too far out to see, but none the less it was embarrassing. Especially since no one knew how he truly felt about his lioness best friend.

Padding farther into the underbrush, Elliot wrinkled his nose as they filled with a sickening smell. Was something… burning? He started to move faster, following the scent to a patch of dried leaves.

"Oh no," he breathed, his eyes widening. "Oh no! No! No! NO!"

He skidded around and began to sprint back to the clearing as orange flames began to lick and the dried bark on the trees.

"GUYS!" Elliot roared. "RUN! FIRE!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: On the Run

Elliot pounded through the clearing, paws pounding on the grass.

"Fire!" he roared.

The shout sent the animals scattering quickly, Kathy shouting "Come on! This way!"

They followed the fox through the undergrowth, wondering where exactly they were going. Behind them, they could feel the heat of the blaze beating down on their pelts, making them heavy.

"Keep going!" Dean urged, taking up the back to make sure no one fell behind. "Come on! I think there's a river up ahead!"

Sure enough, ahead stood a wide stream. The group crashed into the cold water, Casey letting out a yowl of complaint as Munch sent up a splash, soaking her spotted pelt. They spun around, facing the hungry orange flames that lapped at the trees and danced in the leaves.

"Good nose, Elliot," Dean complemented, the bright flames reflecting in his eyes as he stared at them. "That would have had us for sure."

"What do we do now?" Kathy whined, shivering from the cold water.

"I guess the best thing to do," Dean sighed, "is to keep going."

"We should wait until the flames die down," Fin announced in a tired voice. "At least for a little while. I… kinda wanna catch my breath."

The grouped didn't argue; just lay down in the shallow water. It was quickly warming due to the heat from the fire, and they didn't complain. The water was only about paw deep, and they had no trouble laying their heads down. Dean didn't lie down, however, until he was sure everyone was alright. Then, sighing with relief, he sat down. He wasn't ready to sleep until the group was safe.

Once the flames began to die and everyone had rested, they began to trek on again, unsure of what lay ahead.

Olivia awoke to find herself being tossed round in a box. A wooden box, with splinters none the less. She yowled with surprise as it gave a jolt, and someone yelled at her "Shut up! We're on a truck, meat brain! It's not like it's the first time!"

"Sorry," she apologized.

She felt the rumbling of the truck underneath her paws, and a question popped into her head.

"Where are we headed?" she asked.

"The deportation center," the lion below her replied. "We're headed to Africa, baby!"

"Africa?" Olivia squeaked. "Oh, no no no I can't go there!"

"Sweetheart," the lion laughed, "Africa will be way better than this hellhole. We'll be FREE! No more zookeepers! No more designated feeding times! We can live like lions instead of house pets!"

"But all my friends are here!" Olivia shouted. She looked around the dark box for an opening. "They must be so worried!"

"Forget them," the new lion laughed. "You'll have the pride, honey. You'll have family. You won't need friends."

Olivia sighed and lay down, dropping her head down to her paws. _She doesn't know how wrong she is._


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Welcome to the Jungle

Dean trekked ahead of the exhausted group, his tail sweeping the leaves on the forest floor off to the side as he walked. Elliot noticed he was edgy; it was probably because Casey had gone scouting ahead and hadn't come back yet. Dean would make a good pack leader, Elliot decided. But that made him worried. Would Olivia go for him because he's a leader?

"Dean?" Kathy panted. "C-can we stop? I'm tired."

"Come on, Kath," Dean urged, stepping back and supporting her side. "We can go a little bit further."

A spotted pelt came bounding through the trees.

"Area's secure," she announced. "I don't see any hunters, and no one seems to be looking for us."

"Good," Dean nodded. He turned back to the group. "Fin! Munch! Cragen! How you holdin' up over there?"

"Fine," Fin replied.

"We're good," Cragen replied, speaking for Munch as well.

"Good," Dean repeated. "How much farther to the Deportation Center?"

"A couple good miles," Cragen answered. "Maybe four or five."

"My pads hurt," Kathy complained.

"I just ran two miles on broken branches and twigs, but you don't hear me complaining," Casey snarled.

"Shut up," Kathy sneered.

"You shut up!" Casey retorted.

Elliot stepped between the two when he noticed claws being unsheathed.

"Guys," he snapped, "not now. Not when we're so close."

Kathy glared at Casey, but nodded in agreement.

"We'll finish this later," she promised.

"Count on it," Casey replied with bared teeth.

"Let's go!" Dean ordered, and with a sweep of his tail the group began to walk once more.

Trekking farther and farther into the underbrush, the group quickly found themselves starving and tired. Not to mention night was falling over the forest, and soon they wouldn't be able to see.

"We should stop," Elliot announced. Dean didn't turn around. "Dean!"

"I heard you, Elliot," Dean snapped without stopping. "But we're not stopping. Not while we're so close."

"Dean!" Casey snapped. "Come on! We've been walking forever! We need a break!"

"No!" Dean snarled. He spun around and bared his teeth at the group. "If you want to stop then go ahead! But I'm going ahead to find Olivia! She needs me!"

"She needs us," Munch snapped from his perch on Casey's back.

"You're not the only one who wants her back safe and sound, Dean," Fin announced, pawing at the ground irritably. "It's not just about you."

"Be that way!" Dean snarled.

There was the sound of twigs snapping nearby, and the group was suddenly on edge.

"Who's there?" Casey demanded of the woods.

Bushes rustled nearby, and the group spun to face it. No one was there.

"No games!" Elliot ordered. "Come out, coward!"

Suddenly, a squirrel darted out of the trees and made a break for the clearing. Kathy caught up to it, however, and it soon became her meal. The group sighed with relief and laughed nervously amongst themselves.

"It was just a squirrel," Casey chuckled, eyeing Dean nervously.

"Yeah," Dean replied contently. "I guess so."

"We do need to stop though, Dean," Elliot put in. "Everyone's exhausted."

Dean looked at Casey, who nodded.

"Okay," Dean sighed. "We can stop until sunup. Then we have to keep moving."

The gang nodded their agreement and lay down in the soft grass, resting their tired eyes. Dean, however, stayed perched sitting up, his eyes patrolling the area. Elliot watched his glance around protectively and gave him a lopsided smile.

"Not tired?" he asked.

"Exhausted," Dean corrected without turning around.

"Sleep then," the snow tiger replied. "The grass isn't going to bite."

"I have to protect the pride," Dean told him, finally meeting his gaze.

"The pride?" Elliot inquired. "Dean, we aren't exactly…." He trailed off, lost in thought. In a way, the group was like a pride. But they were more than that, he decided. They were family. "Dean, we're more than that."

"I still need to protect us," Dean replied. He shifted in his spot uncomfortably. "I can't lose another one of us."

Elliot nodded, finally understanding.

"We have to be a pride again," he announced. "That's why you want Olivia back so badly."

"It's not the same without her," Dean shrugged. "It feels almost empty."

"I understand," Elliot told him, getting up to sit by him. "I feel empty too."

They stared out into the trees together, watching a light breeze shift some leaves in front of them.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Dean inquired after a while.

"I do," Elliot nodded. "I just don't know if I should tell her. What if she doesn't feel the same way?"

"Oh, she does," Dean chuckled.

"How do you know?"

"Are you kidding?"

"No. Tell me."

"You're all she ever talks about."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"Elliot," Dean laughed, "she cares about you. A lot. Her whole world revolves around you. Don't ask why; just be happy you have her."

"She cares about you too, Dean," Elliot told the lion.

"I know," Dean chuckled to himself. "But really I'm just a friend. You're the one she really wants."

"Are you okay with that?" Elliot inquired.

Dean thought on it a minute.

"Yeah," he finally sighed. "I'm okay with that. As long as she's happy."

Elliot smiled and got settled in his spot.

"Why don't you rest, Dean?" he offered. "I'll keep watch."

Dean nodded gratefully, and was soon asleep on the forest floor. Elliot sighed and stared at the trees. So she did care. Now all he had to do was tell her he felt the same way.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Reunion

Elliot was woken up by Casey nibbling his ear.

"Quit it!" he ordered with a playful snarl.

"Come on, lazy pelt!" Casey laughed. "We gotta go!"

"Sunup already?" he whined. "Alright, I'm coming."

He got to his paws and the group was soon trekking off again. Soon, they found themselves facing a hill. As they got to the top, they looked down to find themselves standing above a large warehouse building, which sat right on the harbor.

"Bingo!" Munch shouted. "Nice work team!"

"It's not over yet, Munch," Cragen chuckled. "We still have to get Olivia back."

"Sure, but still," Munch countered. "Good work."

"How should we do this, Dean?" Casey asked, eyeing the steep slope down to the docks.

"We should go slowly," Dean replied. "Don't call any unwanted attention to yourself."

"WAIT!" Cragen shouted.

"What's up?" Dean asked.

"IT'S BEEN MORE THAN A DAY!" Cragen wailed. "IT'S BEEN TWO DAYS!"

"What's wrong with that?" Elliot replied. Then it struck him, like a bucket of ice water washing over his pelt. "We missed her," he said quietly. "She was shipped out last night."

The group stood in shocked silence. Their entire trip had been for nothing. They hadn't been able to save her. They had missed her. They had failed.

"Is there any chance you're wrong?" Casey whispered.

"Maybe," Cragen replied softly. "But it's slim."

A sudden familiar yowl filled the air, and everyone's ears perked up. Could it be? It was!

"That was Olivia's yowl!" Elliot cried happily. "Come on! I know where she is!"

They followed the tiger down to a wooden box by the harbor that was waiting to be loaded onto a boat.

"Olivia?" Elliot scratched at the box desperately. "Is that you?"

Inside the box, Olivia's heart leapt for joy.

"Elliot!" she cried. "Oh my gosh, it's you! Get me out!"

"Gotcha!" Casey replied. She unsheathed her claws and began to pull away at the boards, until one came loose. Then, it came off, and Olivia was able to push her way out. "Liv!"

"Case!" Olivia yowled happily.

She brushed pelts with her friend, and turned to the group.

"You came all this way to get me?" she asked in disbelief.

"Of course, baby girl," Fin replied. "How could we not?"

"Even you, Kathy?" Olivia chuckled.

"Sure," Kathy announced, cleaning her pelt nonchalantly. "Whatever."

"Well, it's good to have you back, Liv," Dean smiled. "I… I'm sorry I got you caught."

"Think nothing of it!" she ordered, nuzzling his cheek. "All is forgiven."

"Good," Dean smiled.

"Hey Liv," Elliot smiled. He nuzzled Olivia tenderly. "I'm glad you're back."

"Me too," she purred. "I love you, Elliot."

"I love you too," Elliot purred, taken a bit with her outburst, but none the less happy. "So where do we go now?"

"We can still go to Africa," Dean offered. "My offer still stands."

"I think after the ruckus we created," Munch laughed, "I think they'll be glad to be rid of us."

"I do too," a happy voice suddenly announced.

"Huang!" they all cried with joy.

"Hey guys," he laughed, landing on the dock with them. "Gosh, do you know how long it took me to find you?"

"A long time," Elliot guessed.

A fog horn filled the sky, and they group faced each other.

"Shall we?" Casey smiled, shrugging toward the boat.

"We shall," Elliot and Olivia replied in unison.

Then, finally, as a pride, a pack, or whatever you want to call it, the group stepped onto the barge. They were finally a family again, and no one was ever going to take that from them again.

**Notes: Yeah, a short story, I know. Just seemed like a good time to end it. So, feel free to review as you wish. No complaints here. Thanks for reading! XOXO-SilvrBlade**


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